When I started flying at the beginning of the year I thought that flying close to the ground would stop me doing to much damage, and cos I was close if I shut the motor down it would just sit down on the ground and be ok, but the more you fly the more you come to realise that as you have said height will be your friend, I like being a bit higher in the sky now, yes I spent hours in the sim just messing about chucking the heli all over the place to try to get my bail outs sorted I now feel that I can do things without to much panic, although the heart pounding moments still happen.
Nice flying by the way!